Who's the REAL Monster?
Throughout the ages, society has been based on stark contrasts: good or bad, rich or poor, beautiful or ugly, normal or aberrant. Some of these contrasts are based on realities and people are born into these situations, others are perceptions by society itself. In Mary Shelley's, Frankenstein, this act of erring by the society of the day is extremely evident. Two of the contrasts revolve around the central characters, Dr. Frankenstein and the monster. Society's perception of these two extremely different characters are on the exact opposite side of the scale of what they truly are. Dr. Frankenstein is more of a monster while the creature is more 'humane'. Dr. Frankenstein, the so-called decent, no-fault man, is actually authoritarian, obstinate, and extreme in his actions throughout the novel. From the very first encounter with Victor Frankenstein, we get a hint of his character when he asks Robert Walton, "Do you share my madness?" (p.24). This is one of the first things he asks once he recovers from his illness. From the beginning we know that something is wrong with Victor. Dr. Frankenstein's irresponsibility is illustrated many times in the feelings he displays toward his creation. Wh
Upon Frankenstein's return to his castle, he tells how he searched his house for his creation but couldn't find him, "I could hardly believe that so great a good fortune could have befallen me; but when I became assured that my enemy [his creation] had indeed fled, I clapped my hands for joy," (p. From the first moment of his life, the creature is treated poorly by humans just because he does no t resemble one of us. and withdrew from the window, unable to bear these emotions" (p. This shows Frankenstein is cruel and negligent to his creation. The creature has no one to turn to, no one to love even the person that brought him into the world hates him, "All men hate the wretched; how, then, must I be hated, who am miserable beyond all living things! Yet you, my creator, detest and spurn me, thy creature, to whom thou art bound by ties only dissoluble by the annihilation of one of us. I remembered too well the treatment I had suffered the night before from the barbarous villagers, and resolved, whatever course of conduct I might hereafter think it right to pursue, that for the present I would remain quietly in my hovel, watching, and endeavouring to discover the motives which influenced their actions" (p. When the creature sees the interaction of a true family his yearning to be accepted increases, "He raised her, and smiled with such kindness and affection that I felt sensations of a peculiar and overwhelming nature: they were a mixture of pain and pleasure, such as I had never before experienced. Does that sound like some one who has preserved a calm and peaceful mind? Frankenstein's callousness lead to the death of three innocent people, William, Justine, and Clerval. It was a lovely sight, even to me, poor wretch!" (p. The creature has two encounters with man and they both result in the men running in pure horror from the creature. His creation, on the other hand, is compassionate and helpful to the humans who despise him. As he retreats to his desolation, he saves a girl from drowning in a river. Every human he knows or loves rejects the creature, and so he decides to isolate himself. and to produce sounds sweeter than the voice of the thrush or the nightingale.
Common topics in this essay:
Clerval Frankenstein's,
Dr Frankenstein's,
Dr Frankenstein,
Monster Throughout,
Shelley's Frankenstein,
Robert Walton,
dr frankenstein,
Victor Frankenstein,
dr frankenstein monster,
calm peaceful mind,
calm peaceful,
peaceful mind,
p139 creature,
frankenstein's irresponsibility,
creation frankenstein,
creature decides,
frankenstein monster,
creature creature,
|
Acceptance Essays
